How the new Colnago V4Rs was developed

A few weeks ago the new Colnago V4Rs was officially unveiled, the new generation of the Cambiago-based company's sportiest bike that has been created with no half measures: a pure racing bike with the sole purpose of providing UAE Team Emirates' riders with the best weapon to win.

Colnago V4Rs: built to win

In the world of cycling, brands often have to deal with the dilemma of making racing bikes to fully meet the demands of professional cyclists and the need for those bikes to be suitable for the general public who will buy those same bikes, attracted by the performance of the equipment.

In a brand with the history of Colnago, with a legend forged by having been for years the bike of some of the best cyclists in the world, for years they have had no such doubts, counting in its catalog with the legendary C series, which maintains the essence of the traditional Colnago bikes while retaining in part the connection through fittings and extensive customization possibilities. Efficient but more forgiving bikes where elegance and style are as important as the performance of the bike.

Also, for some years now, Colnago has had the V series, which is mold-made and whose sole mission is to seek maximum efficiency above all other considerations. The development of its latest representative, the Colnago V4Rs, is discussed by the brand's managers, members of the UAE Team Emirates squad that uses this bike in the world's top races and, of course, Tadej Pogacar, who has been actively involved in the bike's development.

From the first images of the video released by the Italian brand a few days ago, it is clear what kind of bike we are looking at. A machine "built to win". That is why the whole process of design and creation of this new V4Rs has been aimed at improving details such as aerodynamics, responsiveness of the bike and power transfer. Not so much the weight, which has been addressed as a secondary parameter since the starting figures were considered adequate for a racing bike like this.

Colnago began designing the bike in late 2020, gathering feedback and suggestions from UAE Team Emirates members to get an early idea of the way forward. The first prototypes were built in the spring of 2021 in a process that ran parallel to that of the C68 model, taking advantage of the latter's modular construction technology to enable prototypes to be produced and changes to be made more quickly despite the final bike being a monocoque.

The design of this V4Rs is similar in appearance to its predecessor, although if we go into detail we discover more organic and rounded shapes as well as a greater integration between its elements, such as the forks, designed to be a natural extension of the frame, all in the search for the best aerodynamics but always within the concept of a multipurpose bike.

In any case, the aerodynamic improvement, as demonstrated by tests in the wind tunnel of the Politecnico di Milan, indicates that the improvement comes not only from the frame but also from the combination with the wheels and the new handlebars, achieving a notable reduction of the frontal area of 16% compared to the previous model.

Tadej Pogacar has been fully involved in the development of the bike because of, in the words of David Herrero, UAE Team Emirates' performance manager, his sensitivity to changes, his analytical skills and the high demands he places on the equipment.

In addition to the technical improvements achieved in terms of stiffness and aerodynamics, the UAE team's manager highlights the subtle changes in the bike's geometry to make it even more sporty. By increasing the bike's reach and reducing its stack, this Colnago V4Rs is longer and lower, which allows David Herrero, who is also responsible for the biomechanics of his riders, to place them in a more efficient position to achieve the best performance.

For his part, Tadej highlights the increased response capacity of this new bike, "it allows me to attack faster on the climbs". Also involved in the bike's development was UAE Team Emirates women's rider Sofia Bertizzolo, who points out that the slight weight reduction has been focused on the front of the bike, allowing her to descend with greater confidence and with much less effort than the previous version when riding the bike.

In the coming months, in the season that is about to begin, we will see how Pogacar, Ayuso and company fare with the definitive version of this new Colnago V4Rs whose prototype has been used by practically all the members of the team since the Tour de France, with Pogacar and Ayuso taking podium finishes in the Tour and Vuelta respectively.